Lucas was sitting cross-legged on the couch, gripping his phone tightly, his eyes locked on the screen.
His room was the same mess as usual—chip bags scattered on the floor, half-drunk sodas littering the desk.
But today wasn't just another gaming day.
Lucas could feel it—his gaming journey was heading toward a big decision he couldn't dodge.
In the virtual dungeon, his character was at a crucial point, with the XP bar almost maxed out.
It was decision time—pick a new skill or swap out an old one.
This choice wouldn't just affect his dungeon runs; it would also shape his future progress.
In his head, scenes of tougher dungeons and fiercer monsters flashed by, like a warning: "Pick the wrong skill, and you might not make it out alive."
Scratching his head, Lucas sighed, "Why is this three-skill choice so hard? They're basically forcing me to look up a guide!"
He'd gotten pretty comfortable with his current playstyle, but as the dungeons got harder, his starter skills—Fire Blast, Magic Barrier, and Healing—were starting to feel a bit underwhelming.
Healing, in particular, was a pain; it helped with health recovery, sure, but the long cooldown meant he had to time it perfectly, or he'd be stuck "charging up while getting smacked by monsters."
Lucas knew that his skill set was crucial. While his current skills were enough for low-level dungeons, it wouldn't be long before the monsters got stronger, forcing him to rethink his choices.
Just as he was mulling over whether to replace a skill or not, a notification popped up on his phone:
[Notice: Your character has reached level 10. Please select a new starter skill.]
Lucas's heart raced as he saw the screen.
His character had finally hit level 10!
He knew this day would come, but now that it was time to make a choice, he felt a little lost.
Three new skills appeared on the screen:
1. Wind Blade: Summons a swift blade of wind to strike an enemy, with a chance to inflict bleeding damage.
2. Ice Spike: Summons a sharp ice spike to strike an enemy, slowing their movement upon impact.
3. Wind Dash: Instantly boosts movement speed for 5 seconds, letting you quickly escape danger or dodge attacks. Short cooldown.
"Man, these are all so good!" Lucas stared at the screen, feeling torn. He started weighing the pros and cons of each skill, trying to figure out what he really needed.
Ice Spike and Wind Blade are both attack skills, and I already have Fire Blast, so I really need a quick movement ability instead.
Lucas knew he wasn't great at head-on fighting, and he often relied on defense and smart movement to outlast enemies.
An extra shield, especially one that could slow enemy attacks, would be a huge help.
Then there was Wind Dash.
This skill would make him way more mobile, letting him quickly get out of tricky situations or avoid getting surrounded.
As someone who hated close combat, Lucas knew how important mobility was.
"Ugh, this is so hard! Can't I just pick all three?" Lucas groaned, knowing that wasn't an option.
He had to choose wisely.
He thought carefully about his current skills: Fire Blast was his main damage dealer—super reliable, no way he could ditch it.
Frost Shield was crucial for defense, helping him block deadly hits when things got dicey.
As for Healing, though it was helpful, the long cooldown made it hard to use effectively in battle. More often than not, it just left him standing there, waiting to get hit.
Rubbing his chin, Lucas's eyes flicked between the three new skills.
Finally, he made up his mind: He'd swap out Healing for Wind Dash.
Lucas hit the "Confirm" button, feeling a slight buzz from his phone as the skill panel updated.
Healing disappeared, and in its place, the Wind Dash icon appeared. With this new skill, his combat strategy instantly had more flexibility.
"Alright, let's give this Wind Dash a try," Lucas thought, feeling a bit excited.
He'd never experienced the thrill of moving faster in-game, but in his mind, he could already see himself dashing around, dodging attacks with ease.
He quickly jumped into a familiar virtual dungeon to test it out.
Soon, he ran into a pack of Rift Hounds—fast and vicious, the kind of enemy that usually had him playing defensively, hiding behind Frost Shield. But this time, Lucas decided to be proactive.
As the Rift Hounds charged, Lucas activated Wind Dash.
Instantly, his character sped up, feeling as light as air as he weaved through their attacks and created some distance.
"This is amazing!" Lucas grinned. Not only had Wind Dash helped him escape danger, but it also gave him the time to reposition himself for a counterattack.
He unleashed Fire Blast, hitting the hounds dead-on and taking out a few in one go.
One Rift Hound tried to flank him from the side, but Lucas saw it coming.
With a quick swipe, he activated Frost Shield just in time to block the attack.
The hound recoiled, off balance, giving Lucas the opening he needed to blast it with another Fire Blast.
"These skills work together perfectly!" Lucas couldn't help but smile. Wind Dash sped up his combat flow, letting him dodge and reposition easily.
Paired with Fire Blast's high damage and Frost Shield's defense, his strategy felt smoother than ever.
He pushed deeper into the dungeon, facing even tougher enemies. This time, it was a group of Shadow Winged Beasts, notorious for their airborne attacks.
The moment Lucas entered the fight, they swooped in from all directions.
"This could get tricky," Lucas muttered, knowing how annoying flying enemies could be.
But he quickly found a solution.
As the beasts dove toward him, Lucas used Wind Dash to get out of their reach, then repositioned himself.
Once he was in the clear, he charged up Fire Blast and aimed for the skies.
Flames engulfed a few of the beasts, sending them crashing down. The remaining ones tried to swarm him, but Frost Shield absorbed their hits, keeping him safe.
With every battle, Lucas got better at using his new skill, especially combining Wind Dash with his old ones.
His combat style shifted from cautious and defensive to more agile and balanced between offense and defense.
"Now I'm starting to feel like a real adventurer," Lucas said to himself, a proud smile on his face.
He opened up his character panel to check his stats:
[Character Level: 10
Class: Novice Mage
Current Skills:
1. Fire Blast (Summons a burst of flames, dealing explosive fire damage to all enemies in the target area)
2. Frost Shield (Forms a protective layer of frost around you, reducing incoming damage and slowing nearby enemies)
3. Wind Dash (Harnesses the power of wind to propel you forward rapidly, allowing for quick evasion or closing the distance to your target)
Looking at the simple skill list, Lucas couldn't help but smile. His setup wasn't fancy, but each skill played a vital role.
"Finally, my skill set makes sense," he thought, closing the panel and getting ready for more dungeon action.
Though this was just the virtual world, Lucas knew that mastering his skills and learning to use them together was the key to surviving the real dungeons.
Now, with Wind Dash, he could time his Fire Blasts better, block with Frost Shield at the right moment, and stay one step ahead of danger with his increased mobility.
Still, Lucas knew the virtual dungeons were one thing, but the real-world dungeons wouldn't be nearly as forgiving. He couldn't afford to get cocky or complacent.
"Keep practicing. When I finally take on a real dungeon, I'll be even stronger," Lucas promised himself, determined to spend this time leveling up and getting better so that when he did step into the real world, he'd be ready for whatever came his way.
Even though he'd made his choice, he knew this was just the beginning.
More skills and stronger monsters were waiting down the line, and he would take them on one step at a time, in his own way.
As for the real-world dungeons? That could wait for another day. Right now, he had plenty of virtual ones to grind.